BIBOON (IT IS WINTER)

THE MORNING AFTER

BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AT 5:00 PM MONDAY

Tuesday,  9:45 AM.  20 degrees F, wind S, calm with occasional light gusts.  The sky is mostly clear, the humidity 75% and the barometer is rising, currently at 30.05".  The storm deposited about 4" of new snow, light enough to be shoveled easily from walks and driveway before breakfast.  It is a nice winter day.
   Yesterday's early morning weather changed from rain to snow and progressed from there to more-or-less blizzard conditions, which continued throughout the day until becoming relatively quiet by nightfall.  Our dutiful tree board members all came to the 10:00 AM meeting and endured my lengthy reporting on the urban forestry meetings I attended in the last two weeks and the challenges that the new incursions of emerald ash borer bring to northern Wisconsin.
   Trapped by the brutal weather, I spent most of yesterday afternoon reading the winter issue (Biboon 2014/2015) of Mazinai'gan, A Chronicle of the Lake Superior Ojibwe, which is published quarterly by the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission.  The periodical always has pertinent, well written articles on fish and game, forestry, historic preservation, native language education and the political and cultural activities of the eleven Ojibwe tribes of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan.  It is delivered free to residents of the United States and Canada and I recommend it highly to anyone interested in environmental and American Indian issues.  Visit their website at www.glifwc.org for further information.
   I did not brave yesterday's weather to go out in the woods.  I am either becoming a softie or have finally acquired some common sense.   This winter makes me think of my maternal grandparents who braved Wisconsin winters without running water, indoor plumbing, central heat, appliances,  telephone or a functioning vehicle.  Heat was provided by a kitchen wood stove and a potbellied stove in the parlor that burned wood and coal.  My principal memory of my grandfather is of him poking cut up apple tree prunings one by one into the stove, seemingly all winter long.  I herewith forswear any and all complaining about winter weather.
   My present plan is to see what things look like by noon today, and probably hunt from early afternoon until dark.